Xianyang, the Office of the Commandant of Justice.
Meng Yi slammed the bamboo slips in his hand onto the desk, making a few drops of ink splash out of the inkstone.
He had just returned from his elder brother Meng Tian's residence. The dust of the road still clung to him, and his mind was still filled with both the heroic resolve and the worry surrounding his brother's imminent campaign against the Xiongnu.
Yesterday, the Book of Prophecy brought back from the immortal mountains of the Eastern Sea by the Alchemist Lu Sheng had revealed a prophetic verse: "Those who destroy Qin will be the Hu." The matter had lodged like a thorn in His Majesty's heart.
If this truly was the will of Heaven, could Meng Tian's campaign break its decree?
Or would Meng Tian's death instead confirm Great Qin's fate?
However, before he could even catch his breath, the jade Identity Tablet at his waist, which marked his position as Minister of Justice, began to grow warm. An urgent official message had arrived from Langya.
A large-scale clash had broken out in Langya City. Mechanism Warriors had been damaged, the city had suffered destruction, and outlaws had run rampant during the curfew.
"Bastards!" Meng Yi couldn't help cursing under his breath, the veins at his temples throbbing.
With His Majesty on his eastern inspection tour, Langya was one of the most important stops. Not the slightest mishap could be allowed.
Who was reckless enough to cause such a huge disturbance at a moment like this?
He forced down his anger and focused his mind on the Identity Tablet, connecting to the Law Eye system, which hung high in the heavens and watched over the eight directions. He retrieved the recorded images from Langya City.
The images unfolded, from the disguised Heifu being lured to the platform, to the mecha surrounding him, to Chen Jin revealing his true face and unleashing a staggering counterattack with twin guns, and finally to his escape with Ji's help in exploiting a loophole in the law... Every scene appeared crystal clear in Meng Yi's mind.
When he saw "Heifu" take on Chen Jin's appearance, along with his unbelievable ability to heal and his ferocious firepower, Meng Yi fell silent.
He had originally thought his subordinates had discovered a promising talent and had even felt a little fondness for him. He never expected that a tiger had slipped into the city, its identity a mystery and its intentions unknown.
But there was no denying that the young man on the platform, who called himself Chen Jin, had left a deep impression on him with his courage and decisiveness in the face of certain doom, as well as the foolish loyalty that had made him turn back for a few "brothers-in-arms."
That commanding presence, as if he could look down on every machine, was something no ordinary bandit could possess.
"What a pity..." Meng Yi sighed softly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.
If only such a talent could serve Great Qin...
A moment later, he gathered his thoughts, his gaze regaining the coldness and authority befitting one of the empire's Nine Ministers.
He took a blank memorial and wrote swiftly, his characters sharp and forceful:
"Your servant Meng Yi respectfully submits: An investigation has found that Xiangli Wei, a disciple of the Qin Mohists and deputy in charge of Langya City's defenses, failed to plan carefully and recklessly deployed heavy Mechanism Warriors and Assault Wings in the city's busy streets to apprehend a criminal.
"His operation was mishandled, resulting in severe damage to the mecha, affecting civilian residences, and disrupting public order. Moreover, he caused a disturbance on the eve of His Majesty's eastern inspection tour, with extremely adverse consequences.
"His actions constitute multiple offenses, including dereliction of duty, misuse of military weapons, and endangering public peace. By law, he should receive severe punishment."
At this point, his brush paused. After a moment's thought, he continued writing:
"However, considering that His Majesty's eastern inspection tour is imminent and Langya is an important stop on the itinerary, launching a major purge at this juncture might alarm the imperial entourage and would not serve to maintain stability.
"Therefore, I recommend that Xiangli Wei's punishment be temporarily suspended and that he be ordered to atone for his crimes through meritorious service, devoting himself fully to ensuring that Langya's defenses remain secure throughout the inspection tour.
"He should be dealt with after the tour is over.
"Is this appropriate? I humbly await Your Majesty's decision."
When he had finished, he took out the seal of the Office of the Commandant of Justice and stamped the memorial.
A flash of light passed over it, and its contents were encrypted and sent to the First Emperor's desk.
Inside Xiangli Wei's luxurious residence in Langya City.
Xiangli Wei looked at the reprimand he had just received on his Identity Tablet, his face as dark as water. His fingers had gone faintly white from gripping it so hard.
The wording was severe. Though it did not immediately strip him of his authority, the four characters "atone through meritorious service" weighed on his heart like a mountain.
The position he had spent years building, both within the Qin Mohist system and among the empire's officials, now teetered on the brink because of this single failure.
Cen Qing approached him with a cup of warmed wine and gently comforted him. "Wei, don't worry too much. Since Minister of Justice Meng has given you a chance to atone through meritorious service, there's still room to turn things around.
"His Majesty is wise and mighty. The eastern inspection tour is the perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate the wonders of Qin Mohist Mechanism Art. If you make a strong impression and win His Majesty's favor, perhaps these minor faults will simply be overlooked."
Xiangli Wei nodded distractedly, but his gaze remained heavy.
"My lady is right." He rose, doing his best to keep his voice calm. "There must not be another mishap before the eastern inspection tour. I'll go check on the repairs to Xuanhu and Vermilion Bird in the hangar. I have to make sure everything is in perfect order."
Watching Xiangli Wei's tall figure disappear into the depths of the residence, Cen Qing's gentle smile slowly faded.
She quickly signaled to the two personal maids standing nearby.
The maids understood at once. Without hesitation, they turned and leaped through the window into the waterside pavilion's pool, which connected to a running stream.
The moment they entered the water, their lower bodies transformed into enormous fish tails. With a twist of their bodies, they shot through the water like arrows toward the channels outside the residence, ready to arrange their escape.
Cen Qing herself hurried into the inner room and opened a concealed compartment, taking out several items of vital importance: a jade slip recording key contacts and resources, several vials of pills that shimmered with an unusual light, and a small box of rare pearls from the deep sea.
She carefully placed the items into a rainbow-colored seashell she carried with her.
A flash of light swept across the shell's surface. Inside, it seemed to contain a space of its own, and it stowed away all the items.
Once she had finished packing, she slipped into the water and transformed her legs into a fish tail, preparing to follow the maids out by the waterway, when—
"Vmmm—!"
A low hum sounded. Blue bolts of lightning suddenly blazed across the waterways surrounding the pavilion and at its exits, forming a vast crisscrossing net that instantly enclosed the entire area.
The two Shark Person maids, who had just swum out, hit the net. They screamed as they convulsed and were flung back, landing on the ground in half-human, half-fish forms, writhing in pain.
"How... heartbreaking, my lady."
Xiangli Wei's grim voice came from the shadows.
He slowly emerged, followed by several Qin Mohist disciples with icy expressions and several hastily repaired Xuanhu-type Mechanical Garrison Warriors.
The weapons mounted on the warriors' arms were none other than the restraints of Mohist Mechanism Art: the Heavenly Mechanism Net.
Xiangli Wei's gaze swept across Cen Qing's stunned face like a cold blade.
"I thought that, as husband and wife, even if we disagreed, it would never come to this. I never imagined that before disaster had even struck, you'd already be planning to abandon me." His voice brimmed with repressed anger and deep disappointment. "And tell me, did you also reveal the strengths and weaknesses of my Qin Mohist Mecha Legion to your people—or perhaps... someone else?"
Cen Qing's face turned deathly pale.